Masked Heart
by The Deceiving Maiden
Summary: Kano wasn't looking forward to this day…at all… Because Kido and Seto were getting married. He's missing out because his 'heart' told him to. However, seems like no one wanted him to give up and would go through extreme methods to break his lying habit and Eyes just to be honest about his feelings for Kido. Would they succeed? Would he succeed? Cover Image by cielterre on Tumblr.
1. His Heart's Last Chance

**Deceiver: Well…I shouldn't really post this on Kano's birthday...BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE I'LL MAKE IT UP TOMORROW WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER (hey, it's still 10th of May in other parts of the world when it ends here where I live)****…**

**Please excuse my rush, cheesiness, and OOC moments in this fanfic. It's my first time working on a multi-chapter fanfic that's 100% original and not based off anything.**

**Enjoy!**

**[22/05/13 EDIT: Made some changes]**

**[31/07/13 EDIT: OMG what is wrong with FF?! I wanted to edit the rest of the chapters and change the titles but it won't let me. Sorry for updating this again****…but if you want you can read the edited version?**

~.~.~.~.~

**Chapter 1: His Heart's Last Chance**

~.~.~.~.~

_I'm fed up with you._

Those words echoed in Kano's mind for the past two years. Her voice sounded more and more resentful every time he rewinds it in his mind, hurting his heart.

Sliding his thumb across his smart phone's screen, Kano scorned at today's date that caught his attention first. That was the reason why he was lying on his bed in his room in the first place. Alone in the entire base even. Shaking off his anger, he browsed through his folders of pictures, and opened the one he wanted. It was an old birthday photo he downloaded onto his phone years ago, a picture of his two best buddies together, staring up at the camera with their bright red eyes while eating Kano's birthday cake. Seto looked surprised while Kano gave the camera a victory sign, and Kido was cowering behind the blond because of the sudden flash at that moment. Ayano laughed at how cute they were together and even teased that Kido liked Kano. Of course, Kano laughed it off and Kido fumed at such a statement.

Kano, really, did have a little kiddy crush on Kido back then, and that grew into loving her. Sadly though, that feeling would never be returned.

Because a few days after Kido declared she hated him, she started a relationship with Seto, ignoring Kano completely since then.

And today they were getting married.

Kano bit his lips, hating his loathsome, cowardly self even more than before. It was his fault that he missed the chance, because he should have tried to break his habit of lying and using his Eyes earlier. But it was no use. With Kido' and Seto's past supports, even the entire gang's, he still couldn't break it after receiving his Eyes 15 long years ago. He was jealous how even someone like Shintaro could control his own abilities easily. But then again, he was a boy genius.

In the end when he heard the news, he just smiled and congratulated them. Everyone, Mary even, thought they were meant to be and they would be happy together. Kano's heart told himself that Seto would give Kido the happiness she needed. The ones made from pure honesty, not from the ones that he tainted with lies.

And to finish off as being the biggest coward ever, Kano acted like he had a very bad flu and could not attend to the wedding. He even deceived them into thinking he could take care of himself while they were gone. He snorted at this. What a perfect Liar he was, he even fooled them that he was ill with his power, and just by touching him was believable! No one had ever achieved such a level of deceiving in the history of mankind!

Sighing, he sat up and stretched. Well, he had waited long enough. Everyone was gone already, because the place where they picked for the wedding was outside the city. It was a flower field, where he, his two childhood friends and the Tateyama family had their annual picnics. On their last picnic, Ayano taught Kido how to make flower crowns and the poor green haired girl cried at not being able to make a proper one. He and Seto tried to cheer her up and Ayano said that there was always next time.

And Kido did it. She made a perfect flower crown for Seto when they went there to plan their wedding.

Kano growled and shook his head from the memory. He had to get his mind on something else. Maybe something to eat? He hadn't eaten anything yet. With that settled, Kano got off his bed and head towards the door. He let out a yawn as he walked out, eyes unfocused for a second before he had to take two sudden steps back.

"Oh, you're finally out? We were about to get you."

Shintaro, in a formal black suit, frowned at him from his seat on the couch as he watched Kano gapped him. He was frozen, unsure what to do for a while before he doubled over and began to cough violent.

"Oh, Shintaro-kun!" he greeted roughly between coughs. "Didn't know…_hack! Cough cough! _You still here?" he quickly got his Eyes to activate to show how sick he was still. "I _hack _just wanted some snacks so don't mind me!"

He straightened up just a tad and began to walk away, but before he knew it, he felt the heat in his Eyes disappear in a flash. He froze. What was that? Quickly looking up, he fell backwards to see there was another person with Shintaro. He was the only person who could take away his powers like that, and he was casually drinking a cup of tea as he stared at him with his Eyes.

"Why the hell is _he_ here?"

The man's Eyes turned a brighter shade of red through his thin glasses. He placed the tea down, giving the blond an annoyed glare. "I happened to be your ex-guardian, so of course I can be here and attend to Kido's wedding," Kenjirou stated roughly. "Also, I seem to notice a certain rat is lying on a special girl's date.*"

Kano froze at the words, but cursed under his mouth. Shintaro scratched the back of his head, silent for a moment until Kano finally asked, "Why are you two here?"

Both the older men glanced at each other. Shintaro was unfazed by Kenjirou's Eyes since his was completely off, yet he could still feel something lingering burns at the back of his eyes and mind. The twenty-three year old HikiNEET sighed and got up, walking over to kneel in front of the fallen deceiver.

"Ayano's worried about you."

The mention of his elder sister's name caught his attention. Even after so long, Kano still missed his Ayano's presence. Shintaro sort of helped the Trios since he could pick up the dead girl's thoughts once in a while, saying she was proud of them and wish for their happiness forever in the Never Ending World. It hadn't happened for two years, so it surprised him to hear her name now.*

As a reply, Kano laughed half-heartedly. "So?"

"And because she's worried about you, she's been haunting _me. _It's getting out of hand, do something about it!"

Kano gave Shintaro a look over, his usual sharp gold eyes dull. "How long has that been going on for?"

Shintaro blinked at him. "For a month."

"And you tell me this now _because?_"

"Like I said: getting out of hand!"

Kano snorted at the words. "Oh, _today _it gets out of hand? Why today though!?" he didn't expect he would lash out but it didn't stop either. "No offence, Shintaro-kun, but I don't see any point of you telling me this!"

**RING RING RING RING RING RING RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING**

Everyone in the room had to cover their ears when the sudden sound of a loud alarm rang within the entire building. Shintaro was knocked off his feet, falling onto his butt and making his iPhone tumble out of his pocket. Kenjirou glared at the device on the floor for a few seconds before he and Shintaro yelled, "ENE!"

The alarm instantly stopped, followed by an annoyed huff as the blue cyber-girl appeared on the screen. "Gee, calm down, you two, I was just trying to get Cat Eyes-san to shut up since Master wasn't doing a good job," Ene shifted into her old persona. She glanced up towards the screen, looking into Kano's eyes with her serious ones. "Listen to me here, Cat Eyes-san. You may think you're fooling everyone, but really, you're not." She didn't give the blond young man a chance to reply as she ranted on. "Really, we see you as a wreck with all your constant smiling and jokes. And even _Ayano-chan, _who is not with us anymore, can still tell you're troubled! Master had been groaning in his sleep from it because of you and her! It's really disgusting to listen to it every night because it's even worse than his snoring! Wait, I'm going off topic here but-"

"The point is!" Shintaro cut in as he grabbed hold of his phone. Both he and Ene gave each other a glare before they turned their attention back to Kano. "The reason we are here and what I'm trying to tell you…what _we're_trying to tell…" a second of silence came over him as he tried to calm down to speak softly, "there's still time…"

Kano blinked at them, confused. Shintaro sighed and made himself comfortable on the floor. He looked uneasy, which was not surprising since the black haired young man still had his anti-social behaviours. Trying to push it all down, he went on, "You had all the time in the world to be with the person important to you, yet you're wasting it every single day. Trust me when I say this, you'll regret it once Kido marries Seto. I…I…know I did…"

There was a stiff silence. Kano didn't say anything, but stared at the seventh member of their gang. Shintaro gave him a half-hearted smirk, lulling his head back to stare at the ceiling above. "My time with Ayano…our time together…we can only remember them…but the last moments of us together ended as something that will linger in our hearts uncomfortably." He took a breath in, trying to keep himself talking. "Even though I said goodbye to her that day, I can still _feel _her. I understand them, because she feels the same. And they're related to you too." He turned back to Kano, and the Liar saw his eyes slightly glowed a shade of red. "We're trying to tell you this, Kano, _don't _waste your chance."

It just struck Kano to realize that he was speechless. For once, _literally _speechless. A sigh was heard, coming from Shintaro's iPhone.

"Master's right you know," Ene placed a hand over her heart. "When you love someone…you want to be with that person…But it's horrible to realize it after it's too late…especially when you didn't get to say 'I love you' to that person."

Kenjirou scratched the back of his head in guilt, Kano noted. They found out what the man did to Ene and Konoha years ago and they tried everything they had to stop him. "I'm an immortal being…and I don't even know how long that idiot can live for. We're both in completely different worlds…and there is no way for him to remember our times together." Her voice started to sound thick, yet her eyes stayed strong as she stared at the blond. "I…the fact that I can't 'live' with him hurts, but not able to say that I love him hurts even more. I don't want someone like you who is still alive to miss it."

It was a humourless laugh. And if Kano paid close attention, he could see Ene trying to keep in the tears that were threatening to spill. But when a single droplet escaped, they immediately dissolved into 1s and 0s. Shintaro gazed down at the phone, pity in his eyes.

"Love and regret make you do the stupidest thing, kid," everyone turned around to see Kenjirou coming towards them. His voice sounded gruff as he made his reasoning short. "Trust me; I went down that road before. Not pleasant. At all."

"No need to say it thrice," Ene scoffed at him. Before the scientist could retort, she turned her attention back at the blond with Shintaro. The HikiNEET sighed, staring at Kano steadily.

"There's still time. You still have the chance."

Kano stared at the three of them, his mouth opening and closing as his mask tried to tell him what to do. It was weird, unable to say anything on the spot for once. It actually made it hurt in his chest but what was causing it? A sliver of hope? A crack forming?

**_…No…_**

"Nope…" he said, a weak smile forming. "Not going to happen. Kido hates me anyway, so there's…"

"You never know until you become honest," Kenjirou's Eyes flashed again, effectively sealing the Liar's words. Within one second, he and Shintaro hoisted Kano off the floor and dragged him across the room. Ignoring the blond's splutter, Kenjirou told him, "The wedding doesn't start till pass noon. It takes an hour to get there so we can make it."

"Wait, what!? No I'm not going!"

Before he knew it he was thrown into the backseat of the scientist's van, with Shintaro coming in and sliding the door shut. Kenjirou got into the driver's seat and was already starting up the engine.

"Just think about it properly while we get there." And they were off.

~.~.~.~.~

**Kiki: …Did I deceive you? Did you all think it was about Kano's birthday? Didn't expect that at all huh? Actual summary of the story will be posted up tomorrow with the next chapter~**

***To make things clear, my headcanon affects this fanfic.**

**1. Kenjiro's eyes, Clarity, can disable Eye Abilities for a while.**

**2. Shintaro got his eyes from Ayano, but due to her not being a medusa, she transferred more than the Eyes to him. She transferred her feelings and now they're sort of connected from it. Sad huh? Even though he said good bye, Ayano still haunts him.**

**I promise there will be something better in the next chapter (I can't torture Kano like that on his birthday!). I'm not the much of an angst perso**


	2. His Reason His Mask His Heart

**Deceiver: Welp! I got positive feedbacks so far…but…really, do I really make you guys cry!? O.o I didn't mean that to happen!**

**Ah! And this will be a belated birthday present, because it will have to be extended for an extra chapter T.T**

**Anyway…let's get this fanfic on the road already! Remember guys, my headcanon affects the plot.**

~.~.~.~.~

**Chapter 2: His Reason. His Mask. His Heart.**

~.~.~.~.~

The first half of the journey was quiet. It was unusual, especially with Kano and Ene present. Ene was understandable, she had respects for these kind of atmospheres and behaved when it was called for. Kano, on the other hand, would usually crack a joke or two to lighten the mood, even if he was the one who caused it.

The third member of the Mekakushi-Dan didn't even have his Eyes activated; not because of Kenjirou, but because he was glaring outside the car window. What was the point? No one was looking at him anyway.

"Kano, can you at least say something?" Kenjirou finally snapped after he stopped at a traffic light. Even though they were not red, his cat-like eyes flashed dangerously. Shintaro flinched when he caught the sight at the corner of his eyes and Ene was muttering how Kano must look at the moment.

"Can I go home now?" was all he said.

There was an exasperated sigh coming from the scientist. "Okay."

That caught everyone off guard. "Really?"

"No!"

A sigh of relief followed by a groan. Kenjirou glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw Kano slouching back, growling. "Hey, it doesn't hurt to try, does it?"

"No, it does not," was the mocking reply. As a result, Kenjirou stepped on the pedal with a bit more force than he planned to. But it effectively made Kano knew he had to behave if he didn't want to go into an accident. Granted, Shintaro let out an unmanly yelp, but whatever.

"Look! I also think it is a pain to do this for someone like you, but let me finish it at least!"

"Why would you want to help _me, _of all people?!" Kano growled after he recovered from the shock. "If memory serves me correctly, you used _me _and the gang to gather some data for your sick research!"

Kenjirou's grip on the wheel strained under his grip. "I know…"

"And your research was the reason why Ayano nee killed herself in the first place!"

"I know."

"And because of that you-"

"Kano, this isn't like you at all," Kano turned his attention on Shintaro, who was fiddling with his iPhone. Kenjirou glanced at the genius for a second before he turned his full focus on the road ahead again. "The Kano everyone knows is a liar. A very good liar." Kano's scowl didn't seem to faze him one bit. "Even so, you wouldn't say harmful things to others."

Giving him a look, Kano doubtfully muttered, "How would you know?"

"Everyone who had known you long enough would know," the genius glanced at him, with Ene popping up on his phone's screen to join in.

"Like I said earlier, you're not fooling everyone. And now look at you! A complete wreck is one thing, but being an angry Cat Eyes-san is another! Who had seen an angry Cat Eyes-san before?"

The pain in Kano's chest from earlier unexpectedly returned, this time tenfold. But despite that, he hid it, thinking it was nothing. Shintaro and Ene didn't seem fooled though.

"Why do you continue to lie in the first place," Ene continued to pester. A shock flashed in the blond's Eyes and Ene didn't miss a it. "I mean, you have perfect control over your Eyes years ago, right? Yet unlike Leader-san and Super Happy-san, you use it nonstop. Why?"

Kano was once again left speechless, but this time they died in his throat. He glanced at Kenjirou, who was more focused on driving than them. They were already leaving town once they made a turn to the left.

"It's," Kano started, trying to force it out, "It's a habit I grew up with, I guess…"

**_That's right, a habit._**

"Eh! But once you have control, you only want to use it when necessary, right?"

"Well, I don't want anyone to worry, so I have to keep them from worrying all the time."

Shintaro raised an eyebrow at this. "So you actually care about us and don't want them to worry. Is that why you lie?"

Kano blinked at this. "Huh?"

_It has to be._

**I don't have to say it though.**

"That is possible," Kenjirou said as they made another turn on the road. "There is a reason for a constant habit. Maybe from the past or for a purpose." He glanced at the rear-view mirror again. "If it's for the sake of keeping others worried, it's possibly a purpose more than the past."

**No, it's because I had these Eyes from the beginning.**

_No…the reason is really…_

~.~.~.~.~

_When he first met them at the orphanage, Kano knew they were the same. Same fear, same power, same monsters. But__ he didn't like Seto at first, he always unfazed the blond by seeing through his lies. Both of them had fights, mostly physical ones, with Kano usually the one to start them. Kido always tried to stop it, but in the end she would get hit because of her power of concealment._

_From the last one they had, Kano finally noticed that he made everyone upset. Seto was bruised all over and Kido was sobbing on the ground by the time the caretaker of the orphanage came in. Due to his power of showing no injures at all, he was the only one punished by sitting in the corner, alone._

_While he sat there, Kano wondered why this must happen. He and Seto couldn't help it, and yet they were upsetting each other. Even Kido was crying from it._

_He was supposed to be someone who could make other's not worry with his powers, yet look at what he did._

Maybe I should try to be honest and stop using my powers…

**No, that wouldn't work. With this power I have, I can never be honest.**

But…they're upset because of me…

**They'll understand in time. If they knew they can't help it, then they should know I can't too.**

_Slowly, Kano's head fell forward, meeting the wall with a small _thump_. What should he do?_

~.~.~.~.~

_The idea came to him one day after they finished watching an anime together. Kido was jumping up and down, acting like the main hero while Kano was the villain. Seto laughed as he watched them play._

_"Take this!" Kido ran towards the blond, preparing for a flying kick. Kano stood his ground, ready. The girl jumped, but her foot tripped over a non-noticeable crease in the carpet and she landed right on her face._

_"Ow!"_

_"Kido!" both Kano and Seto ran up to help her. Ayano just passed by the playing room to notice the commotion and saw Kido trying hard not to cry._

_"What happened?" she ran into the room, crouching down to soothe the young girl's pain. Kido sniffled a bit, rubbing her eyes as she muttered, "N-Nothing. I just tripped while doing the flying kick…"_

_There was a disapproving frown given at her, but that was quickly turned into a tiny smile as Ayano ran her hand gently through Kido's hair, before placing it on her forehead. "Pain, pain, go away!" she sang and lifted her hand into the air, making the kids giggle. Lowering her it to pat the girl's head again, she asked, "Is the pain all gone now, Tsubomi-chan?"_

_A sharp nod was her reply, making Ayano smile brighter. "Good! That's my Member No. 1!" she hugged her tightly before getting up, hands on her hips. "Now the three of you, as much as I love you practicing being great heroes with your kicking and punching, I want you all to never do that again against each other! Understand?"_

_Both Kido and Seto gave her their 'Yes, Leader!' salute, while Kano looked thoughtful. Ayano crossed her arms, frowning at the blond. "Shuuya-kun?"_

_"Why though?" Kano asked innocently, really confused by the concept. "If we want to be great heroes, we have to learn how to fight, right?"_

_Ayano opened her mouth to retort, but it died down. Quickly thinking up an excuse, she said, "Yes__…_well, but umm_…you don't need to fight per se__…_" she tried to fish for the right words. "I mean_…you're all great heroes already with your powers__…Ah! You don't need to fight because you have your powers already!_"

_The Trio blinked at her, confused at first before they cowered slightly. "Our__…powers?_"

_"I mean! Umm__…_" Ayano panicked for a moment, trying to think. "Your powers, yeah! But sure it's scary to use them, but if you learn how to use it, maybe_…_"

_A spark lightened up in Kano's eyes, and he ran up to her to tug her scarf. "Onee-chan, are you saying that to be a hero, we have to learn how to use our powers as well?"_

_Everyone stared at him, blinking at what he just said. Ayano bit her lips for a second. "Yeah…because some great heroes mess up when they use their powers wrong," then their leader gasped in shock as she stared at Kano fearfully. "Kano, you wouldn't-"_

_"No no no no!" Kano waved his hands around. "I was just wondering! That's all!"_

_Ayano looked doubtful, but her mum called her to the kitchen for help. Excusing herself, she left the Trio alone. Kido and Seto glanced over at Kano, confused._

_"Kano, what are you planning now?" Kido demanded, smelling something fishy already. The blond gave his friends a sly look._

_"We're heroes…we have powers yet we can't use them properly. Why is that?" Kido and Seto turned to each other, the girl shrugging as her answer._

_"We never…practiced using them?" Seto tried, although he just read off what Kano was thinking with his Eyes._

_Kano seemed to be pleased though. "Exactly!" he exclaimed. "Think about it! Some animes we watched always have heroes use their power the wrong way because they don't know how to use them properly! They feel bad since they failed too! Ayano onee-chan said we are heroes, but how can we when we can't use them properly?"_

_Seto nodded in understanding while Kido blinked at her friend's statement. "You…You mean…we should…try and control our Eyes?"_

_Kano nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! It will do us some good too! Once we perfect them, Seto, you don't have to read minds anymore! And Kido, you'll be visible on your own free will!"_

_The idea seemed to intrigue them a lot, because Seto was blabbering about how nice it would be to not hear anyone's thoughts while Kido jumped up and down with glee, before she clapped her hands onto Kano's with a bright smile on her face._

_"And Kano won't have to be a liar anymore!"_

_And she got a happy nod. "Yep."_

**But I will control these Eyes to continue using it perfectly. Once I'm better with it and without Seto to interfere, I can keep them happy.**

Because I want to keep them happy.

**As long as they're happy, I'm fine.**

_Kano watched Kido bounce towards Seto, talking about getting rid of the redness in their eyes and not being called monsters anymore. The blond smiled at them._

**_I will use these Eyes to deceive them, in order for them to be happy. _**

~.~.~.~.~

_A few years later, after some discouragements and wants to give up, Seto was the first one who was able to do it. When he heard nothing from his friends' thoughts and saw his eyes turned to a complete shade of brown, he started to cry, because it actually happened. Kano and Kido congratulated him, knowing now that it wasn't impossible if they keep at it. Kano was the next one to be able to keep his Eyes in check, and now both he and Seto helped Kido to control hers. _

_Sadly though, after they had control over their Eyes perfectly, Kido and Seto could still tell he was a liar. But they decided to accept it, because he could turn it off on his own and that was really part of Kano's traits._

**_Yeah, they understand now. And they're still happy. As long as this goes on, everything is fine!_**

~.~.~.~.~

**Everything will not be fine now.**

~.~.~.~.~

Kano snapped out of his thoughts. Shintaro and Ene looked up from their conversation. "Oh, you're awake?"

"Wha…?" Kano rubbed his eyes, just realizing how tired he was. He really must have dozed off.

**If Seto stays with Kido, she'll be happy.**

Kano froze, looking around for a second. Something was wrong. What was that voice? It sounded like his, yet not at the same time. Even if it was his own thoughts, why was he arguing with it?

_But I won't…_

**No, I will be. She needs him more than my lies.**

_But…I can change that, can't I?_

**No, I can't. I have to always tell my lies to keep them happy.**

_But I'm not happy._

**Yes I am. Everyone's laughter is my laughter. Everyone's smile is my smile.**

"Kano? Kano!" the deceiver jumped from his seat and turned towards Shintaro again. His black eyes showed that he was irritated from calling him so many times.

"Er, what is it, Shintaro-kun?"

The boy pointed outside the window, making Kano look back. What he saw made him pale. They were driving along a road across a huge field of flowers. He recognized the place.

"Get ready, everyone," he heard Ene said. "We're almost there."

~.~.~.~.~

**Deceiver: I hate this chapter so much! I had to change some things around to make it…less cheesy (but I think I made it even more cheesier).**

**Next update will be slower, but there's only two chapters left anyway. So Kano, hang in there! Your birthday present will be done soon I promise!**


	3. Hesitations of Both Hearts

**Deceiver: Remember I said there is two more chapters? …****_I lied._**

***shot***

**Also I changed the title**

***shot shot***

~.~.~.~.~

**Chapter 3: Hesitations of Both Hearts**

~.~.~.~.~

The sky was cloudless, its shade of blue stretched across the entire horizon while the bright flowers scattered their petals and pollens with the help of the breeze. It was a miracle that that after seven years, nothing had changed at all, letting the beauty remain.

"Stop the van."

Kenjirou flinched at the request. But he drove on anyway.

"Stop the van."

Shintaro glanced down at his phone. Ene gave him a worried look, yet nodded her head in reassurance. But both of them flinched back at what happened next.

"I SAID STOP THE VAN!"

~.~.~.~.~

It was a simple setting. Kano wouldn't notice anything out of place.

That's what Kido kept telling herself as she got into position with the rest of the gang. Her wedding gown was so tedious to run in compared to her casual attire that consisted of her old hoodie and jeans. It nearly made her trip a dozen times in this field and the high heels weren't helping either. All these things were _not _suitable for someone like her who was constantly on missions and keeping everyone in order!

Seto hastily pulled the flower crown Mary made for him off his head, hesitating for a second before he gave it back to the tiny medusa. The poor girl didn't know where to hide it since she and Momo already had one, so she quickly put it on Hibiya. The seventeen years old boy tried to brush it off, but after seeing Kido' and Momo's glare that clearly said 'Shut up and put up with it', he left it alone. Konoha played with the tie around his neck for a second before he heard Kido hissed at him to get ready.

It was a rush. The picture didn't seem right. Even though this was a members-only wedding, Kido wondered if Kano would see through the façade they were trying to pull here.

"Should I start now?" Konoha asked once everyone was still in their position. With a nod from the bride, the android took in a deep breath and began the wedding speech in his monotone voice, speeding it up as best as he could after Seto request it.

_Please let this be over with, _Kido prayed as she zoned out, trying to remember the reasons of why she was doing this. _Please just let this be over with!_

_Please__…Kano!_

~.~.~.~.~

_Kido was putting band aids on Seto's wounds, ignoring the poor boy's constant apologies while he tried to keep the ice pack on his bruised up head. She hadn't said anything after their fight, but he knew what she was thinking with his untamed Eyes._

_"I'm so sorry, Kido."_

_"Don't be," Kido finally uttered after she got sick of the apologies. Granted, he would apologize again from hearing that, but she didn't care. "You can't help it anyway."_

_"B-But…"_

_"Kano is an idiot too," she stated after slapping the last band aid on the boy, oblivious to his pain filled yelp. "He always lies; he can't help it as well."_

_"That's why I'm sorry!"_

_Kido stared at him, her bright red eyes empty of any emotion. There was a group of children running pass them but they were ignored. Not like she minded right now, because for once she was thankful she could make use of this power to have a private conversation._

_"It's not like you're the only one who hates it too, you know!" Kido huffed angrily at him. The boy cowered as she turned away and brought her knees up to her chest. "I hate it too. His smiles look so fake and he never tells us how he feels even though we're the same! I hate him!"_

_Seto was staring at her with worried eyes, but she ignored him as best as she could. She knew he was hearing her thoughts and real feelings for Kano, but she kept on telling herself it couldn't be helped._

_"Sorry."_

_Kido let her head fall onto her knees. Yep, he heard everything._

_"But I'm the same…" Seto said timidly. "I…care about Kano too…I don't want him to always lie…I wish there was something we could do…"_

You're not the only one.

~.~.~.~.~

_It was a huge fright for her when someone shook her awake in the middle of the night. Kido almost let out a scream but when she saw a pair of worried red eyes staring at her, she stopped._

_Seto was whimpering, feeling guilty because of his action. Kido tried to calm down her racing heart and push her feelings aside as she sat up, scooting away a bit to allow her friend to sit with her._

_"What is it, Seto?" she asked when he climbed onto her bed._

_The boy fidgeted with his pyjamas, his eyes adverting away from Kido's. "I…I know I promised I w-won't let Kano's lies worry me…but…"_

_Kido blinked at this. Seto was really naïve compared to her and Kano, too naïve to the point he would keep his words like they were his prized possessions. Back at the orphanage, the boys apologized to one another after their last fight and promised to try and not let their Eyes get the better of them again._

_Kido knew Kano wouldn't keep his end of the promise, but Seto had been for the past years. Slowly, she grabbed onto his hand, her eyes soften as she patted him on the head and murmured, "It's okay, tell me what you heard."_

_A sniffle was heard as Seto relaxed a bit. "Well…you know what Kano said today?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Well…he…" Seto bit his bottom lip, letting out a sniffle. "He…wants…I heard he wants to control them to…use…them…all the time__…_"

_Kido's whole body stopped, her eyes wide. The news was short, yet it took a while for her to comprehend. Lowering her hands and resting them on her lap, she stared at him._

_"W…Why…would he…"_

_She knew Seto knew more. He had to if he heard at least that much. Seto gulped, wiping away a tear before he continued._

_"He…wants to keep us happy…" Seto frowned at this. "But__…_I don't understand. He should know I hate lying so how would that help us?"

_"Because obviously that is the only thing he is good at," Kido growled in frustration. Turning around, she jumped off her bed and paced around her room. "And I just said that he wouldn't be a liar anymore! Stupid Kano!"_

_Seto hoped off of the bed as well. "What should we do, Kido?"_

_Kido crossed her arms, deep in thought. "Well…he does have a point. We have to control our Eyes in order to be heroes, so we can't tell him to forget about it. And you and me don't want to stay like this much longer, do we?"_

_Seto shook his head fiercely; he was growing more upset by the minute. "Are we…going to leave him alone then?"_

_A moment of silence, but Seto already knew Kido's answer before she bowed her head in defeat._

_"Let's…just hope he would change his mind…"_

~.~.~.~.~

_Even though Kano used it a lot, there was no real harm done to the gang. Seto didn't bother with it anymore and reluctantly accepted it as part of his friend's nature. Kido, however, still wished that he would stop. Especially when they started to go on actual missions._

_Whenever Kano was wounded, he would hide it with his Eyes, no matter how serious it was. There was one time when Kano got stabbed from shielding Kido, faking it that he actually caught the blade of the weapon in his hand. If Kido didn't notice the blood pooling at his feet and abort the mission, he would have been done for._

_It got even more serious when Kenjirou tried to use him and made him look like a traitor to everyone's eyes by taking away his ability. His words were practically lodged in his throat, wouldn't come out no matter how hard he tried to say something that was real for once. A great tension was created within the gang and Kano couldn't tell them anything about what Kenjirou actually said._

_It was a miracle really when Shintaro woke up with Ayano's Eyes and helped most of them back on their feet. Although it didn't help Kano completely._

_"You should stop."_

_Kano lowered the book he was reading and glanced at Kido, who was sitting across his way with her Eyes activated. It was after they had stopped Kenjirou's experiments and everyone decided to settle down, instead of having a party like every great hero did. Seto, Mary and Konoha already went to bed and the rest of the gang went home, leaving them the only two awake in the base._

_"Hmm? Stop what?"_

_Kido gave him a cold glare. "You know what I'm talking about."_

_"Eh, but Kido being cryptic is hard to understand, you know?"_

_Kido breathed in slowly, remaining as calm as she could until she gritted out. "I'm telling you, Kano, that you should stop lying!"_

_The words caught him off guard, especially since the topic wasn't spoken of for more than 10 years. That and Seto was always the one who brought it up._

_"Umm…why?"_

_Kido opened her mouth to tell her reasoning, yet she couldn't get it out. Kano waited patiently, watching his childhood girl friend as she tried to fish for something convincing to say._

_"It's…It's because it's over already!" she managed, but it was ineffective. Kano raised an eyebrow for her to explain in more detail. Her eyes showed growing desperation as she slammed her palms onto the coffee table, leaning forward to shout, "Kano, we have found out why Ayano nee-chan died and why we have these Eyes in the first place! We have stopped Kenjirou's plans for Kagerou Days! We…don't have to be heroes anymore."_

_The book in Kano's hand slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor with a quiet _thud. _Both of them stared at each other, with Kido breathing harshly as her eyes begged for him to say something._

_Kano's lips parted, his eyes wide when he realized he couldn't say anything. "I…" was all that came out of him before it ended on a choke._

_Kido shook her head. "See! You're not honest anymore!" she yelled and flopped back onto the couch. "Because you keep on lying with your Eyes, you can't even utter anything but false words! You lie to hide the pain you suffer! Physically and mentally! Yes, I know about it, Kano! Don't try to say otherwise!"_

_She could see it; Kano's golden eyes were trembling like his body was. He was clearly scared and afraid, just like they were many years ago._

_"I…" Kano tried again, his voice still sounded like they were trapped. "I…can't…" Kido blinked, releasing a drop of tear she didn't know she had. In fact, her eyes were almost brimming with them. Kano's words were faint and broken, but she leaned closer again to hear him better. "I…can't…everyone…happier…if…"_

_Kido shook her head again, she didn't want to hear anymore. "No, Kano. Lying won't make us happy. It just makes us sad." Kido went around the table and sat beside him, hands on his shoulders as she looked him in the eyes. "It's enough. No one think you're despicable and they never will. You have to stop or it will be too late. Please, Kano__…do it for__…_yourself_…_"

Do it for me…

_Kano stared at her, his eyes shone with awe. A few moments passed before he tried to do his trademark grin._

_"I'll…try…"_

_Kido smiled back at this. "We'll help you." _Like how you helped me and Seto.

_But deep down, she just hoped he wasn't deceiving her right now. He must try, for everyone's sake. For his sake. For her sake._

_Because she really wanted to love the real Kano Shuuya, not this Deceiver._

~.~.~.~.~

I'm fed up with you.

_Those words came out harsher than she intended to, but she didn't care. Years had gone by and Kano still lied to them with his Eyes. Everyone tried to help him, since the whole gang helped each other with their problems, but nothing seemed to work. He kept on hiding what he was feeling and just do everything selfishly by trying to make everyone feel better, not for his sake but for them._

_As noble as the deed was, Kido was sick of it. She just wanted him to stop._

_A knock on the door caught her attention. "Kido, Kano's gone. Can we come in?" Seto's voice came._

_Wiping away her tears away, Kido stood up and went to unlock the door for them. Everyone was there – Seto, Mary, the Kisaragi siblings, even Hibiya and Konoha. Ene was waving at her in a cheerful manner from Shintaro's phone. _

_"You okay?" the man in his usual red jersey asked. Kido nodded and let them all in. She, Seto, Mary and Momo sat on the edge of the bed while the rest of the gang sat on the floor._

_"Leader-san," Momo tried, but no other words came out. Instead, she and Mary took the green haired girl's hand. Seto leaned forward, his toned forearm resting on his knees._

_"Kido…I think you really hurt Kano this time," he said softly._

_The girl just glared at him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you…"_

_Glancing away in guilt, Seto didn't say anymore since Kido seemed to get the idea of what he did. Sighing, the leader said, "What's the point of telling me this? He's always hiding how he feels so it shouldn't be a surprise anymore."_

_"Not exactly," Hibiya said, sitting up straight. "I don't know ojii-san that well, but really, he looked torn. And even without Seto's Eyes, I can tell _that _much!"_

_"I can prove it!" Ene added and instantly opened up a picture on her Master's phone. Kido took the phone from Shintaro's hand and gave it a look. It was right after she stormed into her room and Kano was staring after her. It was at an odd angle, but Kido saw it. In Kano's eyes, there was something she hadn't seen 4 years ago._

_Fear._

_Kano was scared._

_"No offence, but I sort of called it," Ene said when she showed herself on the phone. Kido blinked at her and the cyber girl sighed. "Cat Eyes-san clearly didn't like how you have given up on him, Leader-san. He is literally _hurt._"_

_"On the inside," Momo added._

_"Crushed," Mary pointed out next._

_"Torn," Hibiya reminded._

_"Ripped to pieces," Konoha finished._

_Kido gapped at them, didn't know what to say. Surely she didn't affect him that much, right? "Why are you telling me this?"_

_Shintaro sighed and leaned back. "Because you seem to be the only one who can make Kano show his actual feelings."_

_Momo nodded at this. "Really, Leader-san, out of everyone, you're the only one who can make him have this reaction. And if you think about it…since he sticks to you so much…he might be…"_

_"No! Stop!" Kido raised her hands up in defence, before she gave Seto a glare. "And don't _you _tell _me_ his real reason of why he is hurt so badly!"_

_Seto nodded in understand, lips completely sealed. Because as much as she wanted to know Kano's real feelings, she preferred to hear them from him rather than from someone else. Heaving a sigh, Kido glanced at everyone._

_"Is that why you're all here? To tell me this?"_

_Momo and Mary simultaneously shook their heads. "We all want Kano to stop using his Eyes, Kido," the petite medusa told her gently. "We understand he is a good person and we want to help him."_

_"We all do," Momo added. "I mean, he lied to make us not worry, so he's okay to even care that much. Just his personality…well…"_

_"Too mischievous and his habit suits it too well," Shintaro finished. Seto sweatdropped at the comment and Kido didn't say anything about that._

_"But…what do you propose we do? We tried everything."_

_"Not everything!" Momo jumped up and held up an index finger, giving the leader a stern look. Kido was taken aback by the enthusiasm the idol had but remained quiet. "Thanks to Leader-san's outburst, we saw him breaking a part, even just a little bit. And if what we believe about Kano is true," she ignored Kido's glare, "we have to keep on making him feel that. I'm sure Kano-san's lies will break away eventually if you-"_

_"No," the short response and the malicious glint in Kido's eyes made Momo terrified at once, along with most of the members. Seto observed Kido, her hands curled into fists while her hair partially covered her angered face. "That's too cruel. We know Kano must be hurt right now and yet you all decided to intensify that pain in order for him to stop lying. And you're going to use_ me_," she spat in disgust. "I want no part in this mission."_

_"Kido…I know that it is not nice to do this to Kano," Seto tried reasonably. "But he helped us. I want to help him by breaking him." A forced sigh came out through his mouth as his eyes pleaded to his friend. "Please understand. This might be our last chance to help him. Save him even."_

_Everyone was already set on this plan. They just needed their leader's approval. Mary took hold of her friend's hands again, giving a firm squeeze as they all waited._

_"Kido, if you feel the same way for Kano, you want to help him the best way you could, right?"_

_Silence._

_"Let's do it."_

_Everyone let out a breath of relief as they got down to the plan. They would have to do it. She would have to do it. Her last mission with everyone. For their own member of their gang. For his sake. For her sake._

_She would have to be the key player in this._

_She would have to shatter Kano's heart. _

~.~.~.~.~

She couldn't believe that it actually worked. Her with Seto seemed to be impossible and yet Kano believed they were together. It was probably because of Mary's convincing act that pulled through. And now Kano wished for their happiness when she and Seto announced that they were going to get married! It was the second last desperate move before they would pull the plug on this.

The last move was to have Shintaro drive him to the fake wedding ceremony. But in the end it was Kenjirou who decided to do it. It didn't matter. He wanted to repent by helping his daughter's siblings, so it was alright.

Kido heard faint whispers from behind her, and she knew it was almost time. They were almost here like, Ene said.

"Wait!"

Kido, Seto and Konoha jumped at the sudden exclamation the teenage boy just yelled out. Turning around, they saw the phone in Hibiya's hand flashed a new message that had just arrived and he played it for everyone to hear.

"_Scratch that! Cat Eyes-san is freaking out! We're stopping the van! Repeat! We're stopping the van!_"

Her reaction to the report was instantaneous. Kido already had her gown lifted up to allow her to run when her eyes caught sight of the van behind everyone else. It was a mile away from where they were and she was ready to run towards it.

"Kido, wait!" Seto grabbed hold of her arm firmly before she went any further. "What are you planning to do?"

The leader panted nervously, trying to think. Momo fidgeted as she glanced at everyone. "It's…it's my fault…right?"

"No…" Kido rasped out. "It was my fault to go along with it." Kido's hands fisted her gown. She was right, this was really hurting Kano in the worse way possible. She was thoughtless because of her want to help Kano with his lies. And now…

"If we go see him now, everything we have done for 2 years would go to waste," Seto reminded her. Swallowing hard, Kido turned to him, her eyes determined.

"We have to see him. I want to see him."

~.~.~.~.~

**Deceiver: DONE! Man, this is long! AHHH! I hope this was an okay chapter!**


	4. Shattered Mask

~.~.~.~.~

**Chapter 4: Shattered Mask**

~.~.~.~.~

**What was the point of this. I can't be saved even if I want to.**

_But I want to be saved! I want to stop lying!_

**Why should I though? It's not like it would change the fact Kido hates me.**

Kano didn't even notice the others were staring at him. Shintaro and Kenjirou just helplessly watched as the blond seemed to gasp for air while trying to hurl everything out of his body at the same time. It had shocked them when Kano suddenly snapped and launched himself for the van's door, fighting off Shintaro who was in his way. Kenjirou was forced to stop the van before there was any serious damage and Kano shoved the HikiNEET aside before he jumped out, running. They chased after him, with Ene sending the distressed report to the gang. Now, standing behind a crumbled form of the world's greatest lair, Shintaro turned to the scientist, silently asking what to do.

Kenjirou, however, didn't know, but he sort of saw this coming. He had known the boy since he and his friends started living with his family. He, Kido and Seto were the first subjects he had met with the monster's Eyes, so he wanted to observe their powers for his research on Kagerou Days.

But he never knew the effects those Eyes have from constantly using them. The ones who obtained them needed time to control if they wished for it. Kido and Seto had been able to keep it in order and only use it when necessary, yet Kano was the only who seek to perfect his usage on them. Even though he hadn't met anyone that used their Eyes constantly before, Kenjirou could now see the side effects from suddenly wanting to stop.

Kano's Eyes and lying were the traits that he grew up with, and he believed he needed them more than ever in order to protect what he had left with his friends. That's what Kenjirou knew. When he used Eyes of Clarity on him a few years ago, he knew he had disabled his Eyes of Illusion temporarily, but when he couldn't do anything at all, let alone speak, it left him a bit awestruck.

After the incident, the _entire _incident, he decided to see what would happen if they keep using their Eyes on more than an occasional thing. His Eyes didn't affect him, but when he remembered what happened to Konoha, he thought back to the event.

A single shock, along with the Eyes being activated, could cause anyone to lose control, an amateur or a professional was no different. Konoha, even though he was created in order to hold Azami's Eyes for Kagerou Days, was not a full-fledged medusa. After regaining his memories, he even went for a drastic change and attempted to shoot himself as the result.

Kano was just like that, except unlike Konoha, who had his Eyes for only two years at that time, he kept using them for fifteen years for his friends' sake. Kido getting married to his best friend and wanting to admit his biggest feeling were too much of a shock for him. His Eyes wouldn't take it, especially now that the famed liar suddenly wanted to stop.

"_You two!_" a soft hiss startled the two men to turn around and saw the entire gang with them. Kido's eyes were at its brightest shade of red as she glared at them, anxious for the current situation.

Kenjirou sighed and pushed his glasses up. "Not good. He's fighting himself."

"What…why?" Mary asked in fright.

"You want to stop him using his Eyes too much by giving him the biggest shock to break it. Let's say he is wearing a mask," the scientist lifted his hand up, and acted like he was holding something over his face. "This mask is his lies and Eyes. You can't see his feelings and you can't break it no matter what you do. However, there are times he seemed to not act like himself, right?" The gang all nodded. "Well, that was the only weakness this mask had. And the cause of it," he glanced at Kido, "is making it shatter a little. However it will recover in time since it's not smashed completely."

"That's what we're trying to do. Smash it completely," Kido bluntly stated.

"Yes, but," Kenjirou stared at her as he added, "when you've been hiding something behind a mask for so long and want to dispose of it, wouldn't you be scared? Hiding away his feelings by using his lies is his forte. He's been doing it for more than 10 years. Don't you think suddenly wanting to stop would cause confliction within himself. Even someone who had been hiding away in darkness would be frightened to be exposed to the light." Kenjirou shook his head. "It's amazing how he could keep it up for so long. Normally someone would die from it."

Mary's breath hitched at that statement, making Seto really hard to not punch Kenjirou in the face because that might caught Kano to notice their presence.

However, compared to everyone's shocked looks; Kido's eyes were the widest out of all of them all. She turned to where Kano was; still breathing harshly, body trembling as he tried to shrink away as if being out here was killing him. She caused this. She had the most effect on him and she allowed this to happen. If she wasn't selfish. If she didn't wish for Kano to stop lying.

_No._

_I have to be selfish._

Kido stepped forward, startling anyone by her decision. "You're still planning to break him?"

Kido turned her gaze on everyone for a second, showing the determination in her eyes, before she continued towards Kano again. They have come so far and this was the best reaction they had gotten out of him, so she couldn't give up now.

_If what Tateyama said was true, then right now Kano is alone. Afraid as he is trying to fight off his habit. This is not right._ Her hands clenched into fists._ I…I shouldn't have done that to him. He helped me and Seto to get our Eyes properly in control, even trying to cheer everyone up as best as he could with his lies. I just wanted him to be honest, but…_

_…I was just trying to push him away, because I couldn't accept him like that anymore._

Guilt ridden feelings took over her as she tried to breathe. _But he's willing to change. He had come this far. And this time…_Kido rushed to Kano's side, kneeling down in front of him while her Eyes concealed almost her entire existence.

_I will help him to the end!_

Even though her Eyes were activated, Kano had a knack of noticing Kido's whereabouts, so he should be able to sense her sooner or later. He better not though, because if he saw her completely now, he might lose it. He was still breathing harshly, but now that they were closer to each other, Kano was mumbling incoherent words under his breathe. He was breaking into a cold sweat, eyes wide in fear as his hands covered his ears.

When they were scared of their powers, they would always huddle against each other to calm the other down. Kido wanted to do that, but if she touched him, her ability would lose its effect. Biting her bottom lip, she whispered to him.

"Kano…"

Hearing his name faintly, Kano slowly looked up. His eyes must be unfocused, as he saw something white and green fluttering in the breeze. He blinked. Was he going insane?

"Kano."

Ah, he must be. There was no way Kido would be here in front of him in a beautiful wedding gown. She should be getting married to Seto right now. Exchanging rings, saying 'I do's, and having their first kiss as husband and wife. Not here with such a sad look on her face.

**If Kido is happy…I will be happy.**

_But…why is she staring at me like that? …She's clearly upset._

**I'm just imagining things. Kido is not sad now. If I stop what I am doing now, she would be happy again.**

"Please, Kano…" Kido whispered desperately. "You've come this far…I know you can do it…" Kano blinked, not understanding what she was saying. "You've come here to see me, didn't you? You don't want me to marry Seto, right?"

_Yes! I don't want you too!_

**No! I want you to marry Seto! You'd happier with him!**

"Don't let your Eyes beat you up like this. This isn't like you! The Kano Shuuya I know can get through anything! No matter how hard it is."

**Yes, because that's who I am.**

_But…I'm not that strong…_

"That's why I know you can stop using your Eyes. It's not that hard since you have control over it. Please Kano…drop the mask…"

"I'm…"

The illusion in front of him wavered a bit, but she was still there. "Kano! Please! I'm here for you right now! We're all here! You can get through this! Just say it! What do you want!? What are your feelings!? Why can't you say something honest!?"

Kano blinked at her, he didn't know what to do. His Eyes were burning yet why did they hurt him this time? They were trying to lie, yet they seemed to be searching for something in the illusion in front of him.

"Honest…"

The illusion nodded. "Yes, Kano, what do you want? Do you really want me to marry Seto?"

"I…I…"

**Stop it.**

A twisted pain went through his heart, leaving Kano gasping breathlessly and double over, clutching his chest. Kido's instinct was to reach out for him but her hands flinched back in hesitation. The blond let out a silent scream, his mask aching and his Eyes burnt horribly.

**I do not need to say it. I do not need to be honest.**

_But…Kido is…_

**That's not her! She's not here! Why would she be here with me!?**

_No…that is her…I know that presence anywhere!_

**I'm lying to myself! I lie to deceive others! Not to myself! This is what I have been doing for years!**

Kano clutched his chest and his eyes, screaming in agony as he rolled onto his back, not noticing the mortified screams around him. Kido was leaning over him, her hands on his shoulders as she cried out his name.

**No one is here. No one cares if I continue to lie!**

_No…Kido…did…_

**That was years ago!**

_No…Kido…wanted me to stop…wanted me to be selfish…be honest…_

**I can't stop deceiving now! I have been doing it all my life! I have to do it forever!**

_No…I can't…I need to stop…I _want_ to stop!_

**I'm being selfish! If I stop, everyone will get hurt! Kido will get hurt! I have to keep them happy!**

_No! This is not my selfishness…my selfishness is…_

"I don't…! I don't want…" Kano peered through his fingers, and even though it may be an illusion of Kido crying, he uttered, "you…to…marry…Seto…!"

The weak proclamation startled her and everyone who was able to hear it. Somewhere in him, he felt something shattered and letting his heart free. It shook his body from the core, leaving him weak and tired from the struggle he just had. "I'm…not good at…being honest…" Kano found himself saying, but he didn't stop. He continued to stare at Kido above him. "I…don't know…if what I've been doing…was really for your sake…or mine…?" his Eyes were cooling down, and they were wet. Kano didn't believe he could cry when a finger came up to brush away a stray tear away. "It hurts to know…you're…marrying Seto…but it's more painful to know…you hated me…no…you gave up on me…Is this…really my…honesty? What I want…?" he didn't know why but he laughed. It didn't sound like his humorous ones, it was completely hollow. "…I'm a horrible person…to even…fall in love…with you…"

Something soft, yet warm, pressed against his lips. Eyes growing slightly wide, Kano saw Kido pulling back, a smile on her face as tears continued to rain onto her face. Blinking slowly, he lifted his hand up, and felt her grasp it with her warm hand. Staring at him, Kido whispered, "It's alright…everything is okay now…"

Soft murmurs and footsteps caught his ears. He didn't know what was going on anymore. His eyes were getting tired, and the last thing he could do was stare up at Kido's beautiful face.

_Ah…no good…I made her cry again…_

"Kido…I'm sorry…"

And he blacked out.

~.~.~.~.~

**Deceiver: …Did I kill him? I killed him? I think I just killed him. I actually killed someone in a fanfic.**

**…**

**Relax! This isn't over yet! Of course I didn't kill him! Seesh! Stay tune for the final chapter!**


	5. Heart at Peace

**Deceiver: I like to thank everyone who enjoyed this fanfic. It was a pleasure to write this and see you all have such great feels for it. All the anonymous reviewers on FF and asks on Tumblr were greatly appreciated as well. **

**Please enjoy this 'last' chapter.**

~.~.~.~.~

**Chapter 5: Heart at Peace**

~.~.~.~.~

Five days passed since then. Kenjirou said Kano just fainted from exhaustion and needed time to rest. It was the same thing that happened to Konoha, but he didn't sleep for five days straight, so everyone felt horrible. Even though he was no doctor, Kenhirou would come by to check on him, just to see if his Eyes were affecting him or not.

Hibiya sometimes came into his room with Konoha, trying every insult he could think up to jolt him awake, yet there was no reaction. Each insult grew more ruthless than the last until the human android had to calm the young boy down and call it a day when he began to cry. But before they left, Konoha would always leave a 'Get Well' card he made himself and sometimes had the other gang members sign it.

Momo, Mary, Shintaro and Ene always came in together. The girls would always cry because they felt like they were the ones who caused Kano to get into this state. Shintaro and Ene tried to comfort them by reminding that was not true and none of them knew. Mary made flowers for him and placed them with Konoha's cards.

Due to Seto working most of the time, he only came in to see Kano late at night, sharing how his day was and how everyone was doing if he saw them. He admitted that it was quiet now that Kano wasn't there to tease them…which was sad since he really misses it, especially before the whole thing about him and Kido dating. He wished he came back and be his old self again, but not just being honest, but he wanted his best pal back.

Kido, however…

~.~.~.~.~

She sat with Kano every day, not moving at all until someone told her to rest or when someone came in to see him. She hadn't said anything, just sat there beside him, observing how peaceful he looked at the moment. No jokes, no wise cracks, just sleeping away. When she saw him being so torn apart in front of him, it appalled her until he finally said something honest.

"Idiot…" she found herself saying after she woke up on the sixth day, with the sun already up in the sky. From the commotion outside, she deduced that Seto was making breakfast but she could smell something being burnt.

Kano was still asleep, much to Kido's dismay. He better not be using his Eyes right now to make them worry on purpose; but even Kano couldn't live this long without food and let everyone worry that much. As much of a moron he was, he really wasn't the type to allow others worry. That was why he used his Eyes…

"Dammit, Kano," Kido hissed lowly. Maybe it was better to have him sent to the hospital, but then again, how were they supposed to explain his condition? He had powers that went out of control and almost made him lose his mind. Yeah, that didn't sound reasonable, so the closest they could do was look after him here.

Sighing, Kido reached out and pinched his cheek, since slapping him would be too much. There was no response, but they were warm. "How long are you going to stay asleep for? Everyone is worried about you, you know that?" bowing her head, she muttered, "I'm worried too.

"It was because of me that you're like this. Even if you wake up and continue to lie with your Eyes, I'll stop hating you. I'll just try something different, but it won't hurt you this time." She smiled sadly, closing her eyes as she murmured. "But I guess what you really want to know is that did I married Seto or not. I didn't. It was all a lie in the first place. We were never dating."

"You…what…?"

The faint voice startled her, her eyes shot open to see Kano staring at her with tired, gold eyes. None of them moved at all, but Kido was literally frozen in position until Seto came through the door with a plate of breahfast in hand. "Hey, Kido, how about something to eat? The eggs and bacons are a bit burnt but the toast…is…"

All three of the first Mekakushi-Dan members turned to each other, awestruck. Kano was sort of having trouble moving since his head felt heavy like the rest of his body, so he glanced from one friend to another with his eyes. At that moment, Shintaro came by to see how Kano was doing today, which seemed to have broke Seto from his trance because he shoved the plate of food into the older man's hand before bolting through the door, yelling for Kenjirou.

"What the-!? SETO!" Shintaro called after him, alerting everyone in the base of the commotion. When he turned back, everyone else came rushing into the room, having one shocking second pass before Momo and Mary cried and ran up to the blond, almost running Kido over if she didn't move aside. She stood back quietly as she stared at the girls glomping Kano, oblivious to his confused and terrified face.

"Thank goodness! You're awake!"

"I'm so sorry!"

All the remaining members stared at them, amongst the crying and yelling, Ene was laughing her head off from Shintaro's phone. Hibiya facepalmed at the antics everyone was creating. Konoha joined in with the girls, making Kano choke out how heavy everyone was and they should get off him already. Nobody listened til Kenjirou came in with Seto, telling them to break it up already. Kano wheezed and coughed after finally able to breathe. He looked up and Kenjirou, eyes narrowed. "You're still here?"

"Is me being here that much of a problem to you?" the scientist glared back before shooing everyone away for him to check the blond. "How are you feeling anyway?"

"Tired," Kano muttered while Kenjirou helped him sit up and prop up his pillow for him to lie on, before getting a tiny flashlight out in hand.

After he turned it on, he pushed Kano's eye lids back with his finger and thumb, examining his pupil as the flashlight shone into his eye. "Not activated? Really?" His Eyes suddenly glowed red as he stared into Kano's. At first the blond was frightened, and yet he didn't feel any of the heat in his Eyes disappear.

Kano pushed Kenjirou's hands aside, blinking as he tried to get his Eyes back on. The scientist watched him, before turning to the gang. "Shintaro, come over and help me."

Blinking, the oldest member of the gang came to their side. Both Kano and Shintaro wondered why they needed the HihiNEET's help, until Kenjirou pointed at the blond. "Try using your Eyes on Kano."

Everyone in the room reacted in shock. Kido stepped forward. "What are you planning-"

"You'll see. Just do it."

Shintaro gulped, before turning to his friend. "Sorry," he muttered before he turned on his Eyes to activate Kano's. At first there was a sting, making Kano wince back but it was gone before he knew it. Shintaro and Kenjirou observed the colour in Kano's Eyes, seeing it flicker from bright gold to dull red constantly.

"Okay," Kenjirou clapped his hands together, signalling Shintaro to stop what he was doing. Everyone wondered what was all that about, until the middle aged man turned to them, a neutral expression on his face as he announced, "I'm not much of a doctor, but I can tell you that he can't use his Eyes right now. It's still there!" he told them quickly when everyone paled. "He's just much less of a liar for the time being, but if he doesn't keep them on 24/7 again when they're back, he should be fine. You got what you wanted."

Kano stared at him, too shocked for words. He looked down at his hands, blinking at the thought that his power was gone. That voice from before wasn't saying anything to him, it was so quiet inside him. No conflicts. No words to convince him to lie.

_But…you know__…it is__…_

"Kano?"

He looked up and saw Kido and Seto standing beside him, worried. Remembering what Kido said, Kano glanced at their hand, and saw no wedding rings on them. _They had gone through the trouble to lie to me in order for me to be honest. Even someone like Seto lied to me__…_And I worried them…didn't I?

Everyone else was murmuring amongst themselves about their Eyes, a little bit afraid even. It was then that Kano realized that without his power to deceive, his friends must be weary of how he looked right now. Did he looked scared still? He didn't feel like it, just a bit surprised, that was all. But he was more surprised he was okay with it! Right now, though, he must set them straight on that fact. _Even without my Eyes or that mask, I still want to look after them._

"It's better this way…" Everyone turned to Kano, who was slowly looking up and gave them his trademark grin. It was still his, but it looked different. Much more…sincere it seemed. "If I want to stop lying all the time…it has to be put away, right?"

All was silent, no one uttered a word. But Seto broke it by letting out a happy cry and grabbed him and Kido into a group hug. While everyone cheered and joined in (Kenjirou and Shintaro just stood back to watch; the HikiNEET gave his phone to Momo so that Ene could join in), Kano, having remembered what had happened between him and Kido, blushed. The girl had the same reaction when their face was placed together a bit too close. Momo and Ene were laughing at a blushing Kano and wondered if they could make him do that more often with Kido.

"So it was…all a lie?" Kano asked his two closest friends quietly. Kido blinked at him, before she sighed and gave him a reluctant nod. "So…you guys have been deceiving me for _two years_?"

_BONK!_

Kano didn't really expect that Kido would hit his head. _Softly _even. She huffed, but there was a tiny grin on her lip as she said, "That's rich coming from you, idiot. You've been deceiving us for _15 years!_"

Kano stared at her, but he soon broke out into a laugh. An actual laugh, he realized.

"Yeah. I think I deserved that."

_Right now…it feels like my heart is at peace._

~.~.~.~.~

**Deceiver: I should just end this here. It seems like a good place to stop. The next chapter is the extra, so go ahead if you want more KanoKidoness :)**

**THANKS FOR READING GUYS! I LOVE YOU!**


	6. Two Hearts as one

**Deceiver: Contains high amounts of fluff! Repeat! High amounts of fluff! Just for those who like fluffy!KanoKido! So if you think that CH5 ending was good enough, you can skip this!**

~.~.~.~.~

**Two Hearts as One **

~.~.~.~.~

A week passed since he woke up from his long sleep and Kano was trying to act social without his mask. There were occasional teasing and jokes coming from him towards the gang, but that was just Kano being himself. As long as he didn't hide his feelings again, it was fine.

After the whole story on how the entire gang tried to help him, Kano forgave them because really, they didn't know it would be that bad in the first place. And he admit it, it was nice to share some of his pain with others. It actually made him feel lighter compared to when he used his Eyes.

However, there were times when he wanted to lie, just a little. When he was caught though, Kido tried her best to forgive him, because she knew that Kano was really sincere when he apologized rather than making an excuse as usual. He knew that he didn't break his habit completely, since, really, it was a part of him.

He thought about this as he lied down on the roof of the base, hands under the back of his head as he looked up at the black void above him. It was late, the urban night sky littered with tiny clusters of stars here and there. He could hear the sound of vehicles passing by and the smell of the entire place filled his lungs. He sighed, before he tried to use his Eyes again. But there was nothing still.

"There you are." Kano turned his head to the right to see Kido climbing up the ladders he placed there. He gave her a look.

"How did you find me?"

"I heard you leaving your room," Kido came up and sat beside him. They remained silent as they looked up the night sky together, glad to have some peace and quiet for once. Right after Kano was able to get out of bed, he and Kido were assaulted by Seto and the others, telling them to date already. They were not going to give them the satisfaction, but it didn't give him the chance to ask about that kiss. He was going to pester Kido about it one day or another. He needed to know if she really returned his feelings.

"What's on your mind?" Kido suddenly said after ten minutes of absolutely silence. Kano turned to her, blinking before giving her a shrug.

"Nothing, just thinking about how much you hurt me two weeks ago."

"Oh, you were hurt? What a surprise," came Kido's sarcastic response. Kano rolled his eyes and looked back up at the sky. "But, it's better to know that you're hurt than not knowing it at all."

Kano turned back to Kido in surprised, and in the darkness, he saw her smiling at him. It was funny to finally see Kido's smile instead of her usual scowl.

Still, Kano just smirked. "I don't know, Kido, it is alright to share my worries with others, but everyone has their own problems too. I don't think I deserve to…"

"Kano, it is not despicable to lie and put everyone first before yourself," the interruption came out harsh, and Kano could see the hurt in her eyes. "It actually shows you care. But really, it hurts me and everyone more to know that you were hurt so badly and for so long. I'll admit that it would take time for you to stop lying, but…" a hand reached out to him, and at once, Kano took it in his. Their fingers intertwined and the contact felt nice. "I want to help you…like how you helped me years ago."

He was still, didn't say anything, but she got a reply. Kano's genuine smiles was a good answer. Really, he felt great with that mask broken completely. He was so free right now! He glanced at the hand he was holding, and just to be sure, yep, there was no wedding ring on her. Satisfied, he sat up and brought up Kido's hand and kissed her on the ring finger.

She was surprised at this, but allowed it. When Kano pulled back, his eyes suddenly shone in seriousness.

"Hey, Kido," the leader raised an eyebrow to show she was listening. "Here's a question for ya. Which one do you love more? The 'lying 'me? Or the 'honest' me?"

"Honest," Kido said within a beat.

Kano made a wistful smirked at this. "Of course. But I can't promise you I'll completely change though."

"It will take time. I know. But I'm used to your lying self for the past 15 years."

"That's not what I meant," the tone in Kano's voice startled her, especially when he was staring at her so intently with his golden cat-like eyes. "It's not that easy, Kido. I can be honest now, but I will still lie. Someday my powers will return and I will use it again. It won't change no matter how much time passed. And even if I don't use my Eyes as much, I will use it to look out for everyone."

_The habit had grown too much on me anyway. _

Kido began to look furious at that declaration and was about to retort. But suddenly Kano swiftly maneuvered himself to pin Kido down, straddling her waist with his hands placed either sides of her head at once. Kano knew how much Kido hated being dominated in the gang, so he was being mindful. Besides, she knew he wouldn't try to do anything to hurt her; she trusted him to be honest so she should trust him on that too.

As Kido tried to calm down from the position they were in and Kano's gaze softened as he went on. "I won't change. Not completely. I can still lie, but I can be honest too. We all lie in our lives too, Kido, so it can't be destroyed completely. And lying will always be my forte, it's part of who I am.

"My personality, however," Kano smirked playfully at this, "is still as sneaky and mischievous. Being a liar fits it pretty well, don't you think? But do I still have to be a complete liar to stay just as sneaky? I don't think so, being sneaky can be honest. And what I'm going to do next is 'honest'."

And what he did was quick and instantaneous, it didn't even give Kido the time to react when Kano's lips met hers. It felt like forever, like back then on that flower field, but it only lasted for a single second. The blond pulled back, still wearing that smirk as he continued to watch the green haired girl as she blushed uncontrollably with a finger on her lips.

Kido could only blink at him, the sensation lingering still. After a while, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, going back to being the cool person she was.

"You know, now that you're honest, you're really cheesy."

Kano balked at this, not sure how to react. "Umm…should I stop then?"

A hand came up and grabbed him at the back of his neck, pulling his face closer to her. "Not a chance," and Kido went for another kiss, which Kano gladly returned.

Yep, being honest was good. They prefer it like this.

~.~.~.~.~

**Deceiver: Oh my ****_dirty! _****How underhanded! I ended this as fluff! I cannot write angst even if my life depends on it! I may have deceived you all into thinking that this is a sad fic; but well in the end I will end it just like this!**

***shot***

**Seriously, this ending is the remains from the original plot. Like I said it should have been 3 chapters long before we jump to this (with slight changes). If you want to know, after some prep talk from everyone, the honest side of Kano ran towards the church (while Ene messaged the gang he was on his way while her team jumps into Kenjirou's van). He has flashbacks (ch2) and wonders why he was running until he reaches the church, stops the wedding and exclaims he didn't want Kido to marry Seto. And he cries as he tells them his reasons (ch4). Then Ene appears, laughs and ask if Mary took a video of that. Kido couldn't believe he actually did it. Then yeah, you know the whole story.**

**There was no voice inside Kano's head.**

**No flower field.**

**No Kido's flashback (it replaced the explanation on the plan).**

**No conflicting moments.**

**No fainting moments.**

**…You know what, I like how this came out compared to my original idea.**

**Haha, well, I guess that's the end of my first complete chapter fanfic. I hope you all won't feel bad for making it a fluff end for this one (you can go back to Chapter 5 and believe that was the ending). But hey, my name is now related to a Deceiver, so I deceived you all into believing this is angst. Also this is clearly under the KanoKido category (on FF), so of course it will not be that angsty (well in my definition of KanoKido anyway *sweat drop* I just can't take too much heart aches! My kokoro would be bokoro!)**

**Thank you for reading!**


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